


A ray of hope

by deutschistklasse



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Self-Defense Lessons, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23703985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deutschistklasse/pseuds/deutschistklasse
Summary: Yugoda encounters the Fire Prince. She dares to hope in a brighter future.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 198





	A ray of hope

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. This takes place in The Siege of the North, before Zuko finds the Spirit Oasis.

„What are you doing here? Why aren’t you out fighting with the rest of your people?” The scarred boy sounded bewildered. Yugoda took in the young firebender’s posture, who burst into one of the safe houses: aggressive and defensive at the same time. He really thought, that they would attack him.

The women huddled closer to Yugoda, unnerved by the strange boy. So she answered him, before he took offense and hurt them.

„Women don’t fight. Fighting is the men’s task. Women’s duty is to wait it out and heal the injured.” Her answer seemed to make the teenager more perplexed. But why? What was so confusing for him?

„What do you mean, ’women’s duty’? Aren’t you waterbenders?” Yugoda knew, that their culture was different, but just how different? What was so incomprehensible? It seemed, she needed to explain it again.

„Like I said, women don’t fight. Their duty is to take care of the men. Just the men are taught to fight. If a woman is a waterbender, she learns to heal or nothing.”

„That’s stupid.” Yugoda was intrigued. The boy continued to speak. „What if somebody attacks you, and no man is near?”

The women in the hut began to fidget. They thought so too, often voicing it in the safety of their group. But never before men.

„Get up. I will show you some basic self-defense moves.” Did the firebender just offer to teach them to fight? Against attackers, like the Fire Nation? Yugoda met the eyes of the dozen of women present. She saw curiosity and determination in their eyes. She nodded to them, then stood up.

„What do we need to do?” She didn’t want to waste the opportunity presented to them, even if the young firebender was actually the enemy.

What came next, was a short explanation and a thorough demonstration for every strike and jab. He knew, where to strike to hurt, like Yugoda knew, where to put her hands to heal. A jab to the eyes or in the nose, a strike to the neck, a kick to the knees, the groins, the shin were all demonstrated and the effects explained.

He made them mimic the moves, then circled them correcting the mistakes. Afterwards he showed the women, how to use everyday objects as a weapon: keys, purses, hairpins. It was very enlightening.

A loud noise alerted the boy to the siege outside, their bubble of camaraderie burst. He seemed to remember, that they were enemies, and that he was part of the attacking forces. He tried to leave the hut, but Yugoda wasn’t finished with him.

„Thank you for the lesson. What’s your name?” The teenager appeared to be taken aback. Was he not used to be thanked? Yugoda began to worry for him.

„I’m Prince Zuko, son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. You’re welcome.” Then he bowed to her curtly, and left hurriedly.

The women were silent, but Yugoda knew, what they were thinking. They received more respect from an enemy, than from their men. The young firebender didn’t look down on them, moreover recognized their potential. He didn’t dismiss them as useless decorations in a man’s hut. He taught them, despite being enemies.

Yugoda wondered, if there were more people like him in the Fire Nation. If he was really the Fire Prince, then maybe the world had a chance to know peace and to heal. She prayed to Tui and La to protect him and to guide him. Yugoda smiled to herself. She had high hopes for the teenager.


End file.
